What people choose to think about you is completely out of your hands…
Their opinions of you, are out of your hands.
Your reputation to them, and the person they think you are; that’s out of your hands too…
One of the things we worry about the most, is what other people think of us.
When someone has a bad opinion of us, especially when it’s based on false information; we naturally want to jump in and defend ourselves.
We want to explain all the reasons why they’re wrong.
Because you want them to know that you are in fact a decent person.
You want them to know that their idea of who you are, isn’t true.
But the truth is, you’re not in control of other people’s thoughts about you.
You’re not in control of how people choose to see you.
And as much as it hurts to hear, you’re not in control of what they say about you to others either.
But remember this…
Your reputation of who they assume you are, is not yours to hold onto.
Because their idea of who you are, is not who you are.
Your character is who you really are.
The only person that owns your character is you.
The only person that has any control over your character is you.
So let go of the opinions of others.
Let them have their perceptions.
Let them be wrong.
And allow yourself the peace of accepting that they are entitled to their own opinions.
Because whatever it is that they want to think about you; that’s on them.
They don’t know you.
They don’t know where you’ve been or where you’re going.
And they don’t know what’s in your heart.
You don’t have to keep exhausting yourself by taking on the responsibility of how others choose to see you, or how they think of you in their own minds.
The people in your life who matter, know who you are.
The rest, are just stealing your energy…
It’s not your reputation that you need to be concerned about, it’s your character that you need to be concerned about…
Because that’s who you are.
And who you really are, is the only thing that matters…
~ Mark